


Pumpkin carols

by fangrrlsing



Series: Rogue Book Club A/B/O [2]
Category: Hannibal Extended Universe - Fandom, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016), The Jane Austen Book Club (2007)
Genre: Alpha Galen Erso, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Don't copy to another site, Halloween, Hannibal Extended Universe, M/M, Omega Grigg Harris
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-25
Updated: 2020-10-25
Packaged: 2021-03-08 22:07:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,293
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27193558
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fangrrlsing/pseuds/fangrrlsing
Summary: Galen and Grigg have been together for a few months. Now Halloween is coming up soon and Grigg still needs the perfect pumpkin for Sacramento's pumpkin carving contest. He and Galen go on the hunt at the local pumpkin patch.
Relationships: Galen Erso/Grigg Harris
Series: Rogue Book Club A/B/O [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1985125
Kudos: 8
Collections: #SpookySlick





	Pumpkin carols

**Author's Note:**

> I never did any pumpkin carving. I never visited a pumpkin patch. I have no idea how they operate. But here we are. I did some research like what kind of pumpkin is best suited for pumpkin carving, but I can give no guarantee that any information given here is in any way accurate for my country, let alone the USA. Artistic freedom I guess? I'd love to hear how pumpkin patches really operate, though, so if you'd like to pass on the pumpkin patch knowledge, leave a comment!
> 
> This fic kicks off my contributions for SpookySlick. For today I chose the promp Pumpkin Patch (what a surprise, huh?). (Here is the post on Tumblr: [Link](https://hannigram-a-b-o-library.tumblr.com/post/630784251639562240/were-excited-to-bring-back-spookyslick-fest-for))
> 
> Galen and Grigg had their meet cute during SummertimeSlick 2018, but you don't necessarily need to have read it to enjoy their pumpkin patch adventure (I hope). Though I do encourage you to check it out, if you haven't yet- it's also in the series. This fic is set in the time skip of their first fic.
> 
> I hope you enjoy this short fic!

“What’s wrong with this one? It has a good size. Good sound too.” To empathize his point, Galen knocks against the pumpkin again. It sounds hollow.

“Too small. Also, it’s a Hokkaido.”

“And?” Galen looks at Grigg quizzically. “You like Hokkaido.”

Grigg watches the dozens of people roaming the pumpkin patch worriedly. He thought there would be fewer people going on a weekday. “Not for pumpkin carving. The shell’s very hard, makes it difficult to carve. And I need to make a masterwork.” At Galen’s questioning look he adds: “For the contest.”

Galen still looks confused. “What contest?”

“Sacramento’s annual Super Awesome Pumpkin Carving Contest. Every year at Halloween, the one with the best carved pumpkin wins a night at the Five Seasons for two, including a dinner at their restaurant.”

Galen whistles. “Sounds fancy. And all that for a pumpkin?”

“’A pumpkin’? That’s what I thought last year, but Sacramento’s citizens take this contest very seriously. They only deliver the best. Because the price _is_ fancy. And I always wanted to stay there. Well, since I moved here. Winning the contest is like one of the highest badges of honor you can get in this town. They even have a gallery with a picture of every pumpkin that won since the first contest. It’s a very big deal.”

Galen smiles and gives him a kiss. “Alright, what do you need to make it happen?”

“The perfect pumpkin of course. It needs to be big enough to fit all the details. It needs to be fresh, so no brown or mushy spots. The stem has to be hard and you shouldn’t be able to remove it without any problems. When you knock against it, it should produce a hollow sound. That indicates that the shell isn’t too thick for carving. And it should have a firm stand. And I’d like a Ghost Rider best.”

“That’s a long list. You’ve really researched this, huh?”

Grigg grimaces. “After my humiliating performance last year, I knew I had to be prepared and ready to fight.”

Galen nods, his eyes determined. “We have great competition, but we got this. Divide and conquer?”

“Divide and conquer,” Grigg confirms with a grim expression. “May you be successful on your quest.”

“May we meet again,” Galen answers and sweeps Grigg in his arms, kissing him as if it’s the last time they’ll see each other.

When they separate, Grigg’s cheeks are flushed, a silly grin on his face. He gives Galen a quick peck on the lips just because he can, before starting his search. He’s so happy he could skip down the row of pumpkins, but he’s already getting weird looks. _The kiss_ , he thinks. _They’re all just jealous that we’re so in love_. Even though it’s only been a few months, Grigg knows that this could be it. They fit together in a way he never experienced before and it can be scary how well they get along, but actually he is looking forward to all the moments they’ll get to share.

He scans the rows for a nice, big pumpkin. Most pumpkins aren’t big enough for what he has planned and the ones with the right size either wobble when he touches them or have little spots. He trudges along but no pumpkin is extraordinary. After a few minutes he looks around for Galen. Maybe he had more luck? He sees him a few rows over, crouched down and inspecting a pumpkin. When he stands up, his hands are still empty. He notices Grigg looking and shakes his head. Grigg shrugs his shoulders and Galen smiles encouragingly, before moving along.

Right. The perfect pumpkin to win the Super Awesome Pumpkin Carving Contest first, being sappy with his boyfriend second. Just thinking about his plans for the pumpkin makes him giddy. Not only the motive will be a perfect surprise for Galen, but also what he plans to do when he wins. It’s a very simple plan. Win the night at the Five Seasons, spend the night with Galen, have a nice meal at the restaurant and ask him to move in together after the dessert. 

And that’s when he sees it. The perfect, round Ghost Rider. He rushes to it, just before a little girl reaches it. When he picks the pumpkin up, inspecting it carefully, the girl starts crying. He ignores her, hoping she’ll stop that way, until her mother materializes next to him. She’s one of those alphas that wear a perfume meant to ‘enhance the natural alpha scent’ that really just stinks.

“Why is my child crying?” she asks him and he shrugs.

“I don’t know. You should ask her.” He sees no brown spots and the shell is firm all around. He tests the stem- hard and doesn’t budge. Knocking against it produces a nice hollow sound.

“She was fine until you took her pumpkin away.”

At that, Grigg looks up. “Her pumpkin? I got here first.”

The woman watches him suspiciously. “You saw that she wanted that pumpkin.”

“And she saw that I wanted it. I was faster.” Grigg shrugs. “That’s how the world works.” Pumpkin patches are a war zone, every kid learns that early.

The woman seems to be taken aback by his attitude and frowns. “You’re an omega.”

Grigg blinks. Why do people think that is a valid argument for anything? “Is that supposed to make me hand it over?”

“Look at her!” The woman points at her daughter who looks up at Grigg with tears in her eyes, bottom lip wobbling.

Grigg looks at the woman again. “I’m really sorry, but I can’t give you this pumpkin. I need it.”

“Why? What is more important than the happiness of a little child?”

“Not that it’s any of your business, but I need it for my alpha.”

That seems to do the trick. The woman nods in a very understanding way (Grigg calls it the ‘good little omega doing things that fit my outdated understandings of gender roles’ nod) and crouches down to talk to her daughter in soothing tones. The girl immediately stops crying. Grigg goes away before she changes her mind, the pumpkin carefully pressed against his chest.

“Successful?”

He turns around to Galen who snuck up on him. “So are you! Show me what you got.” 

Galen presents the pumpkin he was carrying under his arm. “Here we have a big specimen with a nice fresh shell all around. No tilting or wobbling when poked. And listen to this.” He knocks against it, and as expected it sounds hollow.

“Galen Erso returns victorious from his quest. He earns the gratitude of his boyfriend and a kiss.” Grigg gives him a quick kiss on the cheek and grins. “But really. I’m grateful that you came with me. I know that the whole Halloween business is not really your style.”

“I may find all those Halloween traditions strange, but I still will support you in everything that makes you happy. That includes hunting the perfect pumpkin for your projects.” He smiles at Grigg, stealing his breath for a moment, and gives him a soft kiss. “Do you need any help with the actual carving?”

Grigg quickly shakes his head. “Is a surprise. For you.”

“For me?” Galen asks surprised. “But I thought this is for the contest?”

Grigg hums and grins. “Still a surprise. Come on, let’s get our babies weighed and then you can help me bring them home. You still have time before you meet up with Jyn, right?”

Galen nods. “So… I get the privilege to carry the pumpkins, yeah?”

“Exactly. And if you do a really good job,” Grigg teases, “you might even get a coffee before I send you on your way again.”

**Author's Note:**

> [Tumblr](https://sunnnnyy.tumblr.com/) | [Twitter](https://twitter.com/fangrrlsing)


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